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i EORGE E. vAIv-DERBURGH or nnvv vonn .f IMPROVED comeosrrlou FR'ARTIFIQI $pecification forming part of Letters Patent 62,1165,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. VAN DER- URGH, of the city, county, andState of New York have invented a new and useful Artificial h itone orComposition for Building and Ornamental Purposes, &c.; and I do herebyclare the following to be a full, clear, and

act description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in the production of an artificialstone for building (1 other purposes by combining sand or otherquivalent silicious matter with fluid, semifluid, or gelatinous silicateof lime, and, after olding the same into anydesired, form or ape,allowing it to harden, or by taking any mbination of silex. with causticquicklime, and (with or without the application of heat) excludingatmospheric air therefrom, at the same time keeping the compositionmoist until silicate of lime has formed therein, finally allowing it toharden by exposure to the'atmos- I here.

In carrying my invention into effect, I take licate of lime, obtainedeither by mixing a solution of lime with the alkaline silica or.waterglass of commerce,-orby the decomposition silexin a causticsolution-of lime, or in any her suitable manner, and mixing thissilicate, a semi-fluid state, with sand, scoria, or other ulverulentsilicious matter, in the proportion P u of about one part of thesilicate to ten of the sand, stir up the same thoroughly by any mechanical means, adding from time to time enough Water, or, bypreference, lime-water, to

render the same sufficiently plastic, Instead, however, of obtainingthis plastic combination moist silicate of lime and silex by mixing etwoelements each distinct from the other, just described, I prefer, inordinary cases, obtain the same result by forming a silicate lime uponeach-particle of the silex by mixing dry caustic or hydrated quicklimewith oist sand in an air-tight cylinder, or byany other suitable means,in about the proportions of one part of lime and eight or othersilicious materi l i cing themass,with wate I x hours, or oftenerlwithted or superheated, whic ,n of sand either in; part or wholly,

with moisture, will greatlyh tion of the silicate of lime.

Although I prefer steam and moisture to the mass,

self thereto, but contempla fof :any other means which After obtaining aplas, and silicate of lime in eit devices soformediwill har from tentotwenty days, V3

and the degree of thicknes Instead of first producin silicate of limeand sand in and thenmoldin g thesamei forms, as hereinbefore describproducing silicate of 11m 1n other devices, previously in out of .acomposition of san with or without the additi or other ingredients, and

bonic acid of the atmosphe blocks while yet fresh or gree conversion ofthe lime therein u I and at the same timejkeepin damp to facilitatetheprodu therefrom, continuing the tre length of time as maybere theformation of the silica mass. This process willjbe application of gentleheat. d to carry it into practical oper tain 'heat and moisture, and

exclude atmospheric air, 1b fresh blocks of quicklimean sand, and cementto theacti dry or saturated, in any su chamber. ing the airby means ofmo ing the composition alway pose, and applying: artifi 1-h as may befound desirabl I contemplate the com n.

several conditions here I nevertheless, con

Having thus fully K described my invention I claim tl 'jerein as'newranddesire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An artificial stone or compositionfor various useful and ornamental purposes formed of sileX, incombination with silicate of lime,

with or Without other ingredients, when produced before the compositionhas been molded or allowed to dry andharden, substantially in the mannerhereinse't forth.- 1

2 The production of silicate of lime in combination with silexbyexcluding atmospheric air from a formed or mold-ed mass block, or

device composed of caustic lime and sand, with or without otheringredients, and subjecting the same to moisture, With or without"heat," substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

The application of steam to a composition containing silex or siliciousmaterials and lime in any form or in anyproportions, for the purpose ofproducing an artificial stone, sub stantially as herein set forth.

' GEORGE E. VAN DERBI IRGHI Witnesses: l *Jrro. A.'-SN0oK,

GEO. A. MAYHEW.

